Best Places to Visit in Alaska (United States)

Are you searching for the Best Places to Visit in Alaska? Are you thinking of a trip to the South and wondering what to explore in Alaska? We’ve got you covered. Use Alaska Tour & Travel, Your preferred source for Alaska reservations and travel information. We focus on Alaska’s most popular tourist destinations, such as Anchorage, Alaska Highway, and Juneau.

Make Alaska Tour & Travel your preferred source to obtain Alaska reservations and travel information. We concentrate on Alaska’s most popular tourist spots like Anchorage, Alaska Highway, and the most popular National parks of Alaska, including Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park.

These destinations are spread across the Alaskan “rail belt,” meaning you can have an enjoyable and relaxing journey in a luxury dome train, motorcoach, a luxurious 4×4 vehicle, or a car rental. In addition, there are the top park nationals in Alaska like Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park. The parks are spread across the Alaskan “rail belt,” which means you can take an enjoyable and relaxing journey with a luxurious dome train, on a luxurious motorcoach, or with a high-end 4×4 vehicle or rental car.

If you’re planning to explore routes that aren’t extensively traveled, look at those Off the Main Road destinations. Travel over the Arctic Circle and enjoy 24 hours of sunshine, stay in a rustic lodge, get away from the crowds, and explore The Westerly St. Elias National Park.

Our Alaskan friends who have lived through their experiences can help you plan your ideal Alaska trip, customized to meet your specific requirements. You can choose your hotel, activity, and transportation options.

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Kenai Fjords National Park

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The park covers 669,984 hectares, including its Harding Icefield, the gorgeous Kenai Fjords National Park is situated in south-central Alaska close to Seward.

This stunning Alaskan wonderland is known for its incredible ocean cruises, which allow visitors to watch boats sailing through the turquoise sea close to the beach and sea lions, ice glaciers, otters, and eagles.

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Denali National Park

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An excursion to Alaska is not complete without visiting Denali National Park. In its center is North America’s tallest peak, the gorgeous 20,310-foot Denali. Numerous other peaks of the enormous Alaska Range arch across the parklands. It forms an artificial barrier between the immense glaciers and silty rivers to the south, along with the rolling hills and the drier Taiga to the north.

The park’s six million acres comprise a sub-arctic ecosystem home to large mammals such as the grizzly bear, wolves, caribou, Dall sheep, and moose. The desire to safeguard the local wildlife, especially Dall sheep, resulted in the establishment of the park that was later named Mount McKinley National Park in 1917.

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Tracy Arm Fjord

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Tracy Arm, a classic fjord, offers all high-altitude glaciers, stunning tidewater mountains, massive rock walls that rise to over a mile in height with waterfalls falling down to the green emerald waters, and the largest glaciers.

Be on the lookout for bears, whales, mountain goats, and numerous harbor seals, as well as a wide variety of birds like the eagle, arctic terns, kittiwakes, and pigeon Guillemots.
Our boats are solid, smooth-riding ocean-going hulls to ensure the most comfortable cruise possible towards Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier.

The deck is fully walk-around, and large windows in the cabin provide clear views and fantastic photos. The personal attention you receive is unparalleled.

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Alaska Highway

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Alaska Highway, also known as Alcan Highway, is a road that runs 1,387 miles (2,232 km) through British Columbia and Alaska. The Alaskan International Highway, Alaska Military Highway, and Alcan (Alaska–Canadian) Highway were previously known.

The road connects Dawson Creek in British Columbia with Fairbanks in Alaska. U.S. Army engineers built it at $135 million (March-November 1942) as an emergency war measure to provide an overland military supplies route to Alaska. In 1946, the Canadian portion (1,200 km [1,930km], mostly gravel) was transferred to Canada.

It is a scenic route that is open year-round. It connects highways to Edmonton (in the south) and highways towards Haines (in the north). Because of some rerouting and straightening, the modern route is much shorter than the original highway.

University of Alaska Museum of the North

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The museum is located in Fairbanks University of Alaska Museum of the North provides over one million artifacts from the past and natural history items. The permanent collection contains objects of ethnology made and used by indigenous communities and an extensive collection of fine arts primarily focused on Alaskan artwork.

The collection also contains archeological finds from prehistoric times, a group of birds, and several paleontology specimens. The structure which houses the museum is notable. Joan Soranno created it, and the white facility features intriguing curves and lines that were designed to be reminiscent of that of the Alaskan landscape.

The museum is open to faculty and students of the University of Michigan, while the general public is welcomed with a fee. Visitors are welcome to take the museum tour at their own pace, and larger groups may contact the museum ahead of time to schedule an individual tour.

Mendenhall Glacier

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A short distance from downtown Juneau, just a short drive away, is the Mendenhall Glacier, an immense glacier that is currently calving or breaking up from its adjacent lake. There are several options to see the glacier, from the simple shuttle ride to experience the glacier up close or even taking a helicopter flight to be able to appreciate the size of the glacier.

The fittest visitors might decide to take on the Mendenhall Glacier West Glacier Trail, which is hugely challenging but offers terrific opportunities to take photos. Another worthwhile stop is the visitor Center with exhibitions on the glacier and various observation platforms.

Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park

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Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park is synonymous with brown bears. It’s because salmon spawning in June and reaching their peak in July migrate across the Brooks River and attract the giant mammals in the park in huge numbers. The elevated platform surrounding the falls provides some of the nation’s most spectacular wildlife viewing spots.

Brooks Falls and Katmai National Park are located on The Alaskan Peninsula, extending from the southwest continent. The only options to get there are via boat or plane. Vis often opt for an all-inclusive vacation package to see the falls. However, it’s not necessary. Several aviation companies also provide essential shuttle services for visitors to visit the falls.

Anchorage

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It isn’t easy to believe that only 100 years earlier, Alaska’s most prominent and advanced city was just a group of tents. The city was established in 1914 as part of the construction phase of the Alaska Railroad; Anchorage has become the Last Frontier’s commercial and financial hub and is now home to 40% of Alaska’s population.

However, while you’ll have all the amenities you would expect from an affluent American city, it’s not the main reason tourists visit Anchorage. Most visitors only get a glimpse of this enormous city in the northern hemisphere of the U.S. on their journey to see the snow-capped peaks of mountains surrounding it or the vast expanse of wilderness beyond. Anchorage is a paradisiacal location for skiers, anglers, hikers, and wildlife lovers.

However, this doesn’t mean that the city should be overlooked. Anchorage city has many tourist attractions, including museums, shopping, nightlife, museums, and an amazing Zoo. If you’re a nature lover, and this is what you’re looking for, be aware that you don’t need to leave the city to enjoy your favorite things. If you visit in the summer season to enjoy this City of Lights and Flowers (home to around 80,000 flowers in the 460 flower beds) in full bloom, or at any time during the year to be amazed by the dazzling Northern lights.

Glacier Bay National Park

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The protection of Glacier Bay began with its designation as a National Monument under the Antiquities Act in 1925. The subsequent expansions led to a national park preserved covering 3.3 million acres along with two Canadian parks and Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve is a historic binational UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This wilderness preserve in the southeast has the most iconic Alaska tourist attractions like mountains, glaciers, and wildlife and is an ancestral homeland to Native peoples. Because a large portion of the park is water (frozen or not), most visitors go to Glacier Bay by boat. In reality, most visitors to the park include cruise ships inviting guides aboard rather than going to shore. The charter and tour boats offer similar experiences but on a smaller scale.

Glacier Bay prioritizes keeping the wilderness as natural as it can be. Therefore trails and roads are few and few and far between. Visitors are encouraged to explore the wilderness as long as they are sure they’re well-equipped and self-sufficient. Sea kayaking is the most sought-after choice for independent travelers because it’s less strenuous than backpacking mountains. The more experienced thrill seekers are encouraged to try river rafting, backpacking, and mountaineering.

Juneau

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Juneau is a popular stop for many travelers. Cruise vessels arrive at harbors, drop passengers on docks dock, and let them stroll around town for a short time. But the savvy traveler will view the capital of Alaska as an entrance for exploring Mother Nature.

While those who are genuinely adventurous may go to Glacier Bay National Park and Admiralty Island National Monument, those who aren’t as experienced with nature will see fantastic scenery in Juneau’s backyard at Mendenhall Glacier and Tracy Arm Fjord, which are easily accessible by the most popular Alaska tour.

This tiny town (around 30,000 people) has ceased to be fueled by fur trading, mining, and whaling. Outdoor lovers are the main economic force in this town. Today, the citizens of Juneau are selling cheap gifts instead of hunting equipment. Don’t fall for the lure. Your most valuable souvenirs are the fantastic photos you capture using your camera. The stunning setting of Juneau leaves visitors stunned.

Ketchikan

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The most southern town in Alaska is Ketchikan, a picturesque city that is the first stop on numerous cruise ships heading north towards the coast. The city is situated at the base of Deer Mountain. Ketchikan is an ideal location for a range of activities.

Visitors might want to drop by to visit the Totem Heritage Center, the Tonga’s Historical Museum, or the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. The most picturesque downtown stretch is the historic Creek Street, just a few minutes from the docks of cruise ships. It was once a raucous red-light district, but now Creek Street is home to an upscale class of establishments, but it retains its tremendous old-fashioned appeal.

Ketchikan is a hot spot for outdoor adventure. There’s no shortage of day-long guided excursions, including fishing for salmon, hiking across the Tonga’s National Forest, or ziplining through the forest canopy.

Wrangell St. Elias National Park

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The Wrangell St. Elias Park and Preserve is the biggest and most stunning of the sprawling national parks in Alaska. This magnificent mountain region is home to nine of the highest mountains in the United States. Other distinctive features of this park that borders Canada include lakes, glaciers, mountains, streams, and abundant wildlife.

Westerly-St. Elias is an excellent place for walkers, climbers, and water sports lovers. Its Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark gives an insight into the once-mill town, mainly unrestored historic structures and abandoned mining sites.

Other places of interest include a collection of 14 cabins in the backcountry, Some of them only accessible via remote airstrips.

Conclusion

All destinations are awesome! According to my opinion, Juneau is the best to start. I hope you have enjoyed our list about Best Places to Visit in Alaska.

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Henry
Henry

Hi! I'm Henry. I'm a best-selling travel writer who has been teaching people how to travel on a budget for sixteen years. 

And I'm here to help you spend less on your next trip.

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